What Pleases God?

(1) Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth.
(2) Why should the Gentiles say,
“So where is their God?”
(3) But our God is in heaven;He does whatever He pleases.

So what pleases God?

Luke 12:32 – to give us the kingdom

(32) “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Ephesians 1:3-8, esp 5-9 – It pleases God to bless us, choose us, make us holy and blameless, in His love predestine us as sons, make us highly favored in the Beloved, redeem us through His blood, forgive us, pour out riches of grace upon us…

(3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (4) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, (5) having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, (6) to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (7) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (8) which He made to abound toward [lavished on] us in all wisdom and prudence, (9) having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself

Philippians 2:12-13 – to work in us both to will and do

(12) Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (13) for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Hebrews 11:6 – faith in the God who is and rewards those who seek Him

(6) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 – To count us worth of His calling, fulfill His goodness that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in us and us in Him . . .

(11) Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, (12) that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

What didn’t please God?

Hebrews 10:5-6

(5) Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
(6) In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.

What changed things, so that God was pleased? Hebrews 10:7-10:

(7) Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.'”°
(8) Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), (9) then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.”° He takes away the first that He may establish the second. (10) By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.